Compact Technology – High Efficiency

Support for intelligent energy management and the market integration of renewable energy: the innovative frequency converters for energy storage and grid compensation from Knorr-Bremse PowerTech. At E-world in Essen (February 7-9, 2017), the Berlin company will supply answers to the hot issues in today’s energy market in hall 6 at booth 6-402.

Converting energy into efficiency: Converters may be a e small component of energy systems but they can have an enormous impact on overall efficiency. They ensure effective energy storage and a stable power supply. The renewable energy market faces the challenges of fluctuating energy production, variable power loads and decentralized energy storage. “Knorr-Bremse PowerTech’s solutions for storage and reactive current compensation boost existing grid capacity. They save money that would otherwise be invested in grid expansion and power distribution. After all, in many cases renewable energy is not produced in the places where the power is used,” said Jure Mikolcic, the CEO of Knorr-Bremse PowerTech, to explain the converters’ significance. “For example, in Germany offshore power needs to be transmitted to the industrial centers in the south. At E-world, we plan to speak with experts from municipalities, energy suppliers, the industry and institutions about their requirements and energy supply strategies for the future.”

Wide range of applications

The energy market is dynamic, which means that products must be engineered for process-related flexibility. Together with expert partners, Knorr-Bremse PowerTech developss integrated customer solutions that go far beyond the power converter itself. The wide range includes complete storage systems with a variety of technologies, grid connection services and container buildings, as well as integrated grid compensation systems. Power converters for energy production and storage, and those for power supply and grid compensation, continue to be the company’s key products. Power converters from Knorr-Bremse PowerTech are designed for high performance in wind and water power plants, as well as in industrial storage systems. They serve a variety of energy storage technologies: battery storage, flywheels, power-to-gas and other pioneering developments.

Modular frequency converters

With its high technical level, Knorr-Bremse PowerTech fulfills customer expectations for reliability, affordability and environmentally friendly energy solutions. The company’s converters feature a modular, flexible design that makes them relevant for both individual projects and small series. They fulfill customer-specific requirements in terms of technical and local area of application, which enables more scalabilty than standardized products. Theese are easy to integrate into existing energy solutions, and all Knorr-Bremse PowerTech frequency converters comply with the strict international directives for grid supply and grid compatibility (grid codes).

Efficient energy storage

PowerTech converters for energy production and storage have one main task: to convert energy from generators, motors or renewable energy sources into electric power that can be fed into the grid. Here, “efficiency” means ensuring as high a level of quality and power volume as possible during the process. Knorr-Bremse PowerTech converter technology is dimensioned for medium and very high power values, supplying energy production plants and ensuring grid stability for customer applications. The frequency converters for energy storage are available in bidirectional design to enable connection to grid compensation as part of integrated overall energy concepts.

Reliable energy supply

Whether for off-grid systems or connecting renewable energy and storage systems to public grids, PowerTech converters for power production and grid compensation make valuable contributions. In this case, “efficiency” means assuring the stability of the energy supply at all times under the nominal conditions. For processes with alternating reactive power or harmonics, converters dynamically ensure reliable compensation. This function is used to regulate poor grid quality and its negative impact on customer production processes and connected private or industrial loads. It assures that industrial energy supply plants or renewable energy plants such as wind turbines operate reliably.

Driving future technologies together

Power-to-gas plants are one area will be in focus at E-world. These use electrolysis to convert electricity from renewable sources into hydrogen, which can be used to fuel compatible industrial processes or fed into the existing gas pipeline system, turning it into a long-term storage medium. The stored gas can be used at a later point in time to produce power for loads. Power converters from Knorr-Bremse PowerTech provide the required voltage for electrolysis. And after electrolysis, they keep reactive current to a minimum and ensures the optimum power factor. “The extent to which process efficiency has progressed – this is what we want to discuss with the accredited visitors at E-world,” added Jure Mikolcic.

Knorr-Bremse PowerTech is the combination of leading power supply companies under the umbrella of the Knorr-Bremse Group. More than 500 employees at five sites on four continents work together to pioneer solutions for energy conversion. The Knorr-Bremse PowerTech portfolio includes converter products and electronic equipment for a broad spectrum of rail vehicles as well as energy production, storage, industrial applications and high end dynamic test rig applications.

Knorr-Bremse is a leading manufacturer of braking systems and supplier of additional sub-systems for rail and commercial vehicles, with sales totaling approximately EUR 5.5 billion in 2016. Some 25,000 employees develop, manufacture, and service braking, entrance, control, and energy supply systems, HVAC and driver assistance systems, as well as powertrain and transmission control solutions. As a technology leader, through its products the company has been making a decisive contribution to greater safety by road and rail since 1905. Every day, more than one billion people around the world put their trust in systems made by Knorr-Bremse.

Sabine Matthes
Knorr-Bremse Powertech GmbH
Marketing & Projektmanagement BU Industrie
Am Borsigturm 100
D-13507 Berlin
Tel: +49 (0)30 297725 202
E-Mail: sabine.matthes@kb-powertech.com
http://www.kb-powertech.com

This release was published on openPR.